Natalia Kanem

UN says Canadian funding for reproductive health agency critical after U.S. cuts

Michelle Zilio, OTTAWA
December 6, 2017

The head of the UN reproductive health and rights agency says Canada's financial support has been critical to the agency's work after President Donald Trump cut U.S. funding this year.

Natalia Kanem, executive director of the United Nations Population Fund, says the withdrawal of almost $70-million (U.S.) in American funding will put millions of women's lives at risk in the years to come. Dr. Kanem, who was in Ottawa on Wednesday to launch the agency's annual population report, said the Canadian government's renewal of $15.6-million (Canadian) in funding is "lifesaving" for vulnerable women and girls in some of the poorest regions of the world.

Geoffrey York
JOHANNESBURG — The Globe and Mail
Published Tuesday, Jul. 11, 2017

Less than three years after legalizing abortion, Mozambique is getting a new aid package from the Canadian government: More than $18-million to support abortion and family-planning services.

The project, announced on Tuesday, is the first specific example of how the Trudeau government is venturing into foreign-aid policies not permitted under the previous Conservative government – or the Trump administration in Washington.

The First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, has called for a concerted effort by family, community, educationists, health professionals and religious leaders in Africa to address adolescent reproductive health in Africa.

That, she said, had become necessary due to the fact that the family and community, which traditionally were the primary institutions for socialisation, were inhibited by cultural taboos or ignorance in respect of educating the youth about their sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and rights.